Liquid laser

ABSTRACT

A laser using a liquid laser medium which comprises a doping medium in solution in a solvent wherein the solvent includes thionyl chloride (SOCl2). The thionyl chloride permits an operating temperature range far greater than that found in the prior art.

o i United States Patent [191 [111 3,708,759 Collier-ct al. [4 1 Jan. 2, 1973 [54] LIQUID LASER [56] References Cited [75] inventors: Franck Collier, Longjumeau; Jean- UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Daniel Dauchy, Paris; Chrlstlan Le Sargent Sainte Genevieve deS B0is; 3,631,361 12/1971 Blumenthal ..33l/94.5 Maurice Miehon, Draveil, all Of OTHER PUBLICATIONS France Weichsel Gartner et al., Z Naturforschaung, Vol. 25a, [73] Assrgnee: Compagnie Generale dElectriclte, s 1970, 1244,4247

Paris, France 22 il Aug. 31 1971 Prir nary Examiner-Ronald L. Wibert Assistant Exammer-Robt. J. Webster PP 76,457 Attorney-Richard C. Sughrue et al.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT A laser using a liquid laser medium which comprises a Sept. 4, 1970 France ..7032264 p g medium in Solution in a Solvent wherein the solvent includes thionyl chloride (SOCl,). The thionyl lll ..331/94.5, chloride permits an operating temperature range far I l I u s I s n u I s u I I u u s u e u I n u u u e u I s I u s a th h f d [58] Field of Search ..331/945; 252 301.4 greater at mm m 6 5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure 7 2 7 mi /70m /m7 LIQUID LASER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention concerns laser generators and more particularly lasers in which the stimulated emission is obtained in a liquid active material.

2. Description of the Prior Art A laser generator comprises an active medium disposed in a Fabry-Perot resonating cavity consisting of two partially reflecting mirrors, and a pumping means associated with the active medium.

Three kinds of active media are at present known, namely a solid active medium which can be, for example, a ruby crystal or a rod of neodymium-doped glass; a gaseous active medium such as, for example, a mixture of gases including helium and neon; and a liquid medium.

The presently used liquid active medium in laser generators generally consists of a doping material such as neodymium or other rare earth, in solution in a solvent.

The solvents which are at present known and used are of various natures. For example, there is employed a mixture of selenium oxychloride (SeOCl with tin chloride (SnCl Another known solvent consists of a mixture of phosphorous oxychloride (POCI and a metallic chloride (MCI in which M may be chosen from the following list of metals: tin, zirconium, boron, titanium, etc. This solvent may sometimes include water (H O).

Of course, in these various kinds of solvents, the active doping agent is dissolved in predetermined proportions. For example, neodymium is dissolved in the form of an oxide (Nd O in proportion of by weight, this percentage not being critical and being variable within fairly wide limits.

Laser generators, in which liquid active media such as those described above are employed, can operate only in a fairly small temperature range. Outside the permitted temperature range, for example between 10 and 80 C, precipitation occurs which immediately inhibits all stimulated emission.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has for its object the elimination of these disadvantages.

The present invention has also for its object the provision of a laser generator employing a liquid active medium which is capable of operating in a wider temperature range than existing laser generators.

The present invention relates to a generator operating with a liquid active medium, which comprises a doping medium in solution in a solvent consisting of a mixture including at least phosphorous oxychloride (POCl and a metallic chloride of the general formula MCI M being a metallic element and n being an integer equal to the valence of M, characterized by the fact that the mixture constituting the solvent includes in addition thionyl chloride (SOCI Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following description, which is given with reference to the accompanying illustrative, but non-limiting drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The single FIGURE is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a laser generator operating with a liquid active medium.

The single FIGURE shows in longitudinal section a form of construction of a laser generator operating with a liquid active medium. It comprises An enclosure 1, preferably of cylindrical form, which has a fluid outlet 2 and a fluid outlet 3 disposed at either end of the cylinder.

The cylindrical enclosure 1 has its end faces cut perpendicularly to its axis. Two mirrors 4 and 5 are positioned on the faces. One of the mirrors has multidielectric coatings to permit the laser emission to emerge from the Fabry-Perot resonating cavity formed by the two mirrors 4 and 5.

The laser generator also comprises a pumping means for exciting the liquid active medium. The pumping means may be, as diagrammatically illustrated in the FIGURE, a discharge tube 6 helically coiled around the cylindrical enclosure 1. Electrodes -'7 and 8 are connected to a source 9 for supplying to the discharge tube 6 with sufficient energy to enable it to produce a luminous flash to effect an optical pumping of the liquid active laser medium contained in the cylindrical enclosure 1. This energy is generally supplied by the discharge of capacitors.

A liquid laser generator can operate statically or dynamically, that is to say with a fluid which is fixed in the enclosure or with a fluid which is constantly renewed.

By way of example, one of the laser generators serving for the experimental operation with the liquid active medium operates statically. Its active medium consists of a mixture of phosphorous oxychloride (POCl a metallic chloride (MCl,,) and thionyl chloride (SOCI This mixture of three substances constitutes the solvent in which there is dissolved the doping active medium such as, for example, neodymium oxide 2 a)- By way of example, a solvent in which neodymium oxide is dissolved has the following composition:

SOCI POCl 21%; SnCl 4%, these percentages being by volume. Neodymium oxide is dissolved in this mixture in such a manner that its neodymium (Nd-Hl-) concentration is about 0.1 mole per liter.

Another experiment was carried out, in which water in a concentration of 0.13 mole per liter was added to the above-defined mixture.

Laser generators having such liquid active medium give the same results as known laser generators operating with conventional liquid active medium, it being found that:

The absorption of this new liquid active medium at a wavelength of 1.06 micron is very low;

The addition of thionyl chloride does not in any way contribute to an increase in this absorption;

The radiation lifetime is still just as good, i.e. capable of exceeding 200 microseconds.

The primary advantages of the invention is that in addition to the above, that the liquid active laser medium according to the invention permits operation of laser generators in a temperature range between about C and +70C, whereas an active medium containing no 3. A liquid laser active medium according to claim 1 wherein the solvent includes a mixture of thionyl chloride, phosphorous oxychloride and stannic chloride in proportions by volume of percent, 21 percent and 4 percent respectively.

4. A liquid laser active medium according to claim 3 wherein said mixture further includes water.

5. A liquid laser active medium according to claim 4, wherein the solvent includes water in a proportion by volume ofO. 13 mole per liter.

I: II 

2. A liquid laser active medium according to claim 1 wherein the metallic element M is tin.
 3. A liquid laser active medium according to claim 1 wherein the solvent includes a mixture of thionyl chloride, phosphorous oxychloride and stannic chloride in proportions by volume of 75 percent, 21 peRcent and 4 percent respectively.
 4. A liquid laser active medium according to claim 3 wherein said mixture further includes water.
 5. A liquid laser active medium according to claim 4, wherein the solvent includes water in a proportion by volume of 0.13 mole per liter. 